Nightmares
by DragonsWillFly
Summary: The defeat of Corypheus is behind Evelyn Trevelyan, but the nightmares are not. Can Josephine help the Inquisitor with her PTSD or will Evelyn's episodes break them apart? (f/f) oneshot.


_The party was in full swing by the time Lady Trevelyan walks through the front door of Skyhold. She frowns slightly as she notices that everyone had not waited for Varric, Dorian, and herself to return from fighting Corypheus, but decided to celebrate anyway. She opens her mouth to speak, but Divine Justinia reaches for her and pulls her towards a darkened corner of the room. Confusion mars Evelyn's face as she stares at the woman in front of her. "You're dead!" Trevelyan exclaims loudly as she continues to stare at the Divine._

 _The older woman smiles softly, a sad smile that turns the Inquisitor's heart cold. "Your job is not done, my dear," Justinia says remorsefully as she looks about the room full of people. "I pray that your daggers and bow are sure today as they have ever been," she glances back at Evelyn. "And I pray to the Maker that you slay Corypheus this time."_

" _But... but he is dead... we defeated him!" the Inquisitor proclaims as she watches the Divine fade slowly from view. The attendants of the soiree all turn to stare at the woman as she stands in the corner of the room by herself, hands in the air in frustration._

" _That you did, my love," a voice calls softly from behind her, distracting her from the prying eyes of the party-goers._

 _Evelyn closes her eyes and smiles softly. "Josephine," she breathes out softly as she turns around to face the Antivan. Opening her eyes with the smile still gracing her lips, she reaches for the ambassador's hands and brings her closer. "I had the craziest vision just now. The Divine..."_

 _Josephine smiles softly and wraps her arms around the Inquisitor's shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "It's quite allright, my love. Today has been a long day for you and the others. I am just glad to have you back here with me. Do you like the party? I put it together last minute when we received word from Leliana's agents that you succeeded in defeating Corypheus."_

" _It's beautiful, Josie," Evelyn says as she ends the hug and looks about the main hall of Skyhold. "But the Divine..."  
"I know," the Antivan says off-handedly. "It's a shame that she could not witness what we had accomplished with her blessing." She frowns slightly as she thinks on what she had just said. "But, if she were still alive, all of this would have never happened, so in the end, it is moot, I guess."_

 _Evelyn grasps her lover's shoulder gently. "You don't understand! She was here! She said that she hopes that we can slay Corypheus. She claimed he wasn't dead!"_

 _Josephine laughs softly as she cups Trevelyan's cheek. "I can understand the reservations you are having, my darling; but you have slain the beast mere hours ago. It has been a long time since you have had proper rest; your mind is playing tricks on you tonight. I will speak with Cullen to make sure to post an extra guard in our wing tonight, so no one can bother your rest tonight. You deserve a good night's sleep after such a battle." Her eyes convey worry for the Inquisitor. "Do you wish me to cut the fête short tonight just so you can go upstairs and rest? If not, I can at least give the lords and ladies present tonight an excuse for your early departure."_

" _It's not that, Josie," Evelyn says softly as she glances around the room. "What if she is right? What if he isn't dead and is mounting an attack right now?"_

" _But you defeated the monster!" the Antivan declares as she takes a step closer to the Inquisitor. "You are truly drained from all of this." She grasps Evelyn's hand and starts pulling her towards the back of the hall, towards the Inquisitor's wing of the castle. "Come, let us get you to bed," she says softly._

 _Evelyn shakes her head and pulls her hand from the ambassador's grasp. "No, you don't understand. Hawke said that she had defeated him before and Varric says the same thing. He said that Hawke, Isabela, Hawke's sister, and himself saw Corypheus dead at that Warden's prison he was trapped in, but he came back! He came back, Josephine!"_

 _The Antivan huffs and turns back towards the Free Marcher. "Evelyn, I know what the reports said in regards to Hawke's dealings with Corypheus, but this is different. You defeated that Archdemon he had with him and it weakened Corypheus. Even here at Skyhold, we could see what was happening. The sky changed, though there is a scar in the sky, everything has gone back to normal. You have saved us all from utter destruction, so, please, allow me to take care of you now," Josephine begs softly as she reaches for the Inquisitor's hand and gives it a light squeeze._

 _Evelyn takes a deep breath as she weighs what the Antivan has said. 'Maybe she is right,' she thinks to herself as she allows Josephine to lead her to the door. 'The months leading up to this have been tumultuous at the very least. I haven't been getting the rest I need these past few weeks. Maybe I am hallucinating.' "Okay," she says aloud as she squeezes her lover's hand and lets a small smile grace her lips. "Maybe I have been running at full-tilt lately and haven't gotten the rest I deserve."_

 _Josephine smiles as she glances over her shoulder at the woman behind her. "I knew you would see things my way." Her fingers rest on the doorknob in front of her. "Now let's make sure you are very comfortable in your room, before I send everyone back to their own rooms," she whispers with a sly wink._

 _Evelyn grins back at the woman. "I hope you do not put everyone to bed like you do me," she quips as she lets go of the Antivan's hand and allows her hand to tangle into the golden sash that drapes around the ambassador's waist._

" _Of course not, my lady," Josephine replies with a smirk. "None of them could ever compare to your prowess and repartee. Besides, I might just send a missive to Leliana and allow her to get everyone to leave. You know how persuasive she can be."_

 _The ambassador grips the doorknob tighter as she opens the door to lead them away from the party. Suddenly, a loud cracking sound cuts through the music and general merry-making. Evelyn looks up at the ceiling and sees a blinding green light erupt in the middle of the room. "Oh shit," she mutters as she grabs Josephine by the arm and pulls the ambassador back out of the doorway. "We have to go!"_

" _Wh-what is this?" Josephine questions as she stares up at the every swirling mass of green mist in the middle of the great room. "I thought it was over... I truly thought..."_

" _I told you that the Divine was here and that she said Corypheus wasn't dead!" Evelyn shouts as she pulls the ambassador towards the main door. "We need to get everyone out of here now!" She yells to one of the guards that rushes past her._

" _Hawke's already on it," Varric states as he appears beside the Free Marcher, loading his crossbow and pointing it at the rift. "Why does the bad shit have to happen before I leave? And this time it isn't even my fault!"_

" _Oh no?" Cassandra questions as she draws her sword from its scabbard. "You are always the cause of any trouble that makes its way to us. If you and Hawke never awoke Corypheus, we would not be in this situation."_

" _Not this again," Leliana states as she notches and arrow into her bow. "We have discussed this countless times, we do not have the time to entertain this conversation again." She lets the arrow loose and watches in satisfaction as it burrows its way into the throat of a Terror that was ambling its way towards a group of dignitaries from Orlais._

" _She's right," Evelyn replies as she unsheathes her daggers, twirling them in her hands as she readies herself to pounce. "We need to destroy this thing first and then figure out what exactly happened." She turns back towards the Spy Master. "Make sure Josephine makes it out of here safely."_

 _Leliana nods her head quickly and reaches for the Antivan. "Let's get out of here now."_

" _But..."_

" _Come now, Josie, we must get moving!" Leliana exclaims as she wraps an arm around the Antivan's shoulder and pushes her towards the front door. "We will search for you after this is over," the Orlesian says to Evelyn before opening the door and ushering herself and Josephine out._

 _'I hope we are safe and that this is over before Leliana thinks to look for us,' Trevelyan thinks to herself as she dodges a spout of fire from a Rage demon. Once she lands, she reaches into the pouch on her belt and pulls out a vial of smoke screen. Dashing it on the ground, Evelyn tumbles out of the way of the razor sharp claws of a Terror and then runs towards the rift._

 _Her muscles cry out in protest as she races towards the centre of the room. With each step, she seems to be getting further and further away from the rift instead of actually getting closer. A spell flickers on her left and she turns her head towards the light. She stops in horror as she watches the spell die in Dorian's hands as a spike juts out from his chest. "Dorian!" Evelyn races towards the mage and manages to catch him before he slumps to the ground. She lowers both of them to the ground and lays the mage's head in her lap._

" _I would have never guessed that a damned demon would get me," the Tevinter sputters out. Each word etched in glistening blood that rolls down his chin into his normally pristine robes._

" _Try not to speak, Dorian... and for Maker's sake, don't die on me now," Evelyn pleads as she looks about the hall and tries to staunch the blood flow. "I just need to find Vivienne. She can heal you."_

 _Dorian opens his mouth to speak, but falls into a coughing fit that draws more blood from his punctured lung. When the coughing subsides, he shakes his head slowly and stares towards the wall. "Who do you think I was trying to save, my dear?" Evelyn glances over her shoulder, her eyes widen at the carnage on display._

 _What was left of the Orlesian mage was nothing more than visceral and her staff. Squinting at the gore, Evelyn also makes out an eye-patch and a solitary horn. "Iron Bull..."_

 _The Tevinter takes a shuddering breath. "I don't think they knew what hit them. The Terrors created a time vortex around them slowing them both down to a stand-still. I tried to fight the vortex, but I should have paid more attention to the other demons in the room." He coughs up dark, nearly black blood, and his eyes roll back in his head._

" _Dorian? Dorian!" Evelyn screams out as her blood soaked hands try to feel for a pulse on her best friend. "Don't you die on me! We went to the bloody future. We fought these foul demons, you can't die on me now!" She croaks out a sob as she gently lowers his head from her lap and closes his eyes with her bloody fingertips._

" _We need to get moving," a voice says softly behind her as a gentle hand rests on her shoulder._

" _Varric..." she mutters out. "They're dead..."_

" _I know," he says with a sigh as he tries to pull her up off the floor. "But don't let Sparkles' death be in vain. Cassandra and the rest are still fighting near the rift. We just have to make it there. Cassandra, Curly, Sera, and the Kid are still going strong. I haven't seen Blackwall though. Nor Iron Bull and his crew."_

" _That is what remains of Iron Bull and Vivienne," Evelyn shakily points at the blood on the floor._

" _Damn," Varric mutters as he draws a bolt out of his quiver and then loads Bianca. "We need to get out of here before anyone else dies."_

 _Evelyn nods her head as she staggers from the floor. 'We can do this,' she thinks to herself as she tightens her grip on her daggers. "We have to do this," she mutters aloud as she moves closer to the rampaging demons in the centre of the room._

 _Glancing to her right, she sees the party-goers racing towards the exit with some of Cullen's men trailing behind them to make sure none of the evil beasts attack any more of the guests. Trevelyan rushes towards the fray when she sees Agent Harding trip over an overturned chair trying to steer clear of a desire demon. "Oh no you don't," she exclaims as she jumps in front of the demon to allow Harding to escape._

" _Ah, a much better conquest," the desire demon croons as she saunters closer to the Free Marcher._

" _Really?" Evelyn questions as she twirls her dagger in her left hand. "I don't know if I should be flattered or not." A smirk plays on her lips as she peers behind the demon and sees that the rest of her friends and Cullen's men are keeping the rest of the demons at bay._

" _I would think you would be more than flattered, my dear," the demon replies as it moves closer, effectively blocking the Inquisitor's view of her friends. "Just think, out of everyone in this room, I chose you." The demon smiles softly as it continues to walk towards Evelyn, pushing her closer to the wall. "And just think... we can have all eternity for your wildest dreams to come true."_

 _Trevelyan frowns at the remark. "I like my life the way it is now, thank you very much. Now if you are quite finished, I would like to kill you now, demon."_

" _Oh, but I was just getting started," the demon purrs. "I know your every desire. Every want that pulses through that toned, beautiful body of yours. I can make it all come true." It moves closer and rests its hand against the wall by Evelyn's head. "Every single fantasy that you have ever thought up, can be yours."_

" _For a price, I imagine," the Free Marcher counters as she tries to lift her dagger towards the demon's throat but fails. Her arms feeling as though they have boulders attached to them._

" _Doesn't everything come with a price?" the desire demon asks as it rests a hand on the Inquisitor's hip. "But I think you would enjoy this price, my dear." It closes its eyes and slowly morphs into a brunette with startling green eyes; almost very similar to a girl Evelyn had spent time with while she was younger . "I can be whoever you want me to be," it says as it changes to Empress Celene. "And no one would ever be jealous of anyone." It closes its eyes again, turning itself into a dusky woman with a rather large hat. "I can even become someone you have heard about but have never seen. I know your every want. As much as Varric and Hawke spoke of this woman, I can see why you would desire her as well. Anything you want, my love. Just relax, I will take all of your pain away."_

 _Evelyn takes a deep breath as she tries to fight the temptation of the demon in front of her. She takes another peek at the demon as she wills herself to lift her dagger from her side and she almost drops it when she sees Josephine standing in front of her. The Free Marcher almost lifts her hand to touch the Antivan in front of her, but she shakes her head and wills herself not to be tricked. "I will not allow this! You are a trickster! A foul beast that is playing on emotions, past and present. You can never replace Josephine! I will destroy you!"_

 _A smirk falls onto the demon's face as it inches closer to the Inquisitor. "I don't think you will."_

 _Suddenly, a sharp pain explodes in Evelyn's stomach. Glancing down, she sees her own dagger protruding from her belly. A gasp escapes her throat as she grasps the hilt and tries vainly to remove it._

" _Just think..." the demon whispers in her ear as it twists the knife deeper. "All eternity."_

Evelyn jolts out of bed her hand reaching for the dagger that had been embedded in her stomach mere seconds ago. Taking a deep breath, she calms down when her fingers touch smooth skin. "Just a dream," she mutters. "Just a dream." She wipes the cold sweat from her face and stalks over to open the door to the as the cold breeze touches her bare sweat-drenched skin, Evelyn breathes in the cold night air. Wishing vainly to have the wind carry the remnantsof her nightmare drift away into the night.

"You are going to catch your death out here, my love," a soft, sleep-addled voice calls out to her from the door. Evelyn nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound and whirls around to see Josephine standing in the doorway with a large blanket covering her naked frame. "Did you have another nightmare?" the Antivan asks as she pulls the cover more tightly around her and brushes her long black hair from in front of her face.

"It felt so real," the Free Marcher murmurs as she runs her hand through her hair and stares back out into the night sky. The heavens, though scarred, remain normal as she gazes up at the stars. "There was a rift that opened in the middle of the main hall; during the middle of the party... and... and Dorian died. And so did Iron Bull and Vivienne." She shivers again then looks down at her body and realises her state of undress. "Shit!" Evelyn looks down at Skyhold properly to ensure no one had seen her and then rushes back inside towards the fireplace.

Josephine quirks an eyebrow at the Inquisitor's antics before closing the door and following her in. She sits down beside the Free Marcher and takes a deep breath. She reaches out from underneath blanket and touches Evelyn's shoulder. The other woman jumps at the contact and moves to the end of the sofa. "Let me guess... another dream about a desire demon?"

Evelyn eyes the dark-haired woman suspiciously. "How did you know?"

Josephine rolls her eyes, a trait she does not show outside of the bedroom walls, and huffs. "It is obvious. Every time you have a dream of a desire demon you will not let me even touch you until you knew it is really me! So, what happened this time."

The Free Marcher leans forward and rests her elbows on her knees. "The demon had me cornered. Then it turned into you and it stabbed me." She did not want to bring up the other people the demon had turned into, she never did. All of the women shown, besides Josephine and Celeste, the girl from her teen-aged years, were only passing fancies; nothing that she had ever acted on, would never want to act on. She had the one person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and she was content... if only she could stop having these blasted dreams!

"I doubt that is all of it, but I will not pry, my love," Josephine says softly as she leans back onto the sofa and sighs as she feels the heat of the flames in the fireplace. Even though she had covered herself with the blanket, the Antivan had felt the biting chill of the snowy mountains that surround the castle. "It has been months since you have defeated Corypheus... months since any rift has opened up anywhere inside of Orlais and Fereldan. Nearly every one of our friends have left Skyhold and Leliana has been set up as the newest Divine. I know that it does not matter how much time has passed, you will still have these nightmares; but I just wish that they wouldn't torment you so. I wish I could just take them all away from you, so you would not hurt so much. I hate seeing you being tormented by your own self. Have you tried sending a letter to Dorian? Perhaps he might know how to end these dreams or perhaps Vivienne? We can send them a letter if you wish. Maybe they know of a spell... or maybe a potion that can keep the dreams at bay."

Magic. Magic is what caused all of this. The death and destruction of countless lives before Corypheus was defeated. She loved Dorian like a brother, but did not wish to add more magic to her body than was already there. The Inquisitor glances down at her left hand and grimaces. "I do not wish to add more magic to this," she lifts her hand up into the fire-light. "We have already poured an exorbitant amount of magic through it to try to stop the rift. Though it has been quiet, we still do not know everything there is to know about it." Evelyn shakes her head. "No, no more magic."

Josephine nods her head as she bites her lower lip. "Of course, my love. I do not wish to lose you to an unknown magical concoction mingling with an already mostly unknown magical anchor attached to your hand," she moves slowly closer to the other woman, "but I do not wish to lose you to your nightmares."

She sighs as Evelyn shrinks against the side of the couch, subconsciously moving away from the Antivan. "Is there something I can do to let you know that I am myself? That I am not a cruel temptress of a demon that wants to ruin you."

Evelyn wraps her arms around her naked frame and shudders. "I just need time," she mutters as she goes to stand from the sofa and walks towards the dresser. "I am getting up now, I can not fall back asleep." The Free Marcher glances behind her and watches as the Ambassador stands as well. Turning her back to focus on finding clothing, she frowns when she hears Josephine huff in the background.

"I can not accept this," the Antivan says as she walks behind the Inquisitor and reaches for her arm. "I will prove to you that I am not what your dream has shown. I can not wait for you to 'just need time'. There has always been trust in our relationship and I will not see a little nightmare come between us."

"Well, what else do you wish me to say?" Evelyn counters as she turns back around to face the Antivan.

"I wish for you to say something more than 'I just need more time,'" Josephine states as she wraps the sheet more securely around her body. "I wish for you to tell me that there is some way I can prove to you that I am not a desire demon here to seduce you into its clutches."

Trevelyan licks her lips as she thinks upon the words the shorter woman had spoken. "I may have an idea, but I do not know if it will work or not."

Josephine arches a perfect eyebrow at the Free Marcher. "Do I really want to know what idea you have in store for me?"

"How did we meet?" Evelyn asks suddenly as she crosses her arms in front of her.

The Antivan stares at her, confusion marring her features. "What sort of question is that?" she asks as she takes a step forward. "Did you hit your head again?"

"Just answer the question," the Free Marcher replies as she rolls her eyes.

"We met in the Chantry at Haven. You had arrived with Cassandra while Leliana, Cullen and myself had been speaking in the back room," Josephine shivers slightly as a strong cold wind comes through the open window. "You had been captured after the destruction of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Nearly everyone thought you had been the culprit, so they were going to send you to Val Royeaux for trial, but Cassandra intervened."

Evelyn nods her head. "And how did you react to my advances as the weeks turned to months?"

The Antivan shakes her head softly as she realised what her lover was doing. "I was a bit flattered, but never thought much of it because I had a job to do for the Inquisition and you were the Herald of Andraste. Also, I could not understand how you could say such things to me when we barely knew each other; so I would often play it off as a possible cultural difference between the two of us.

"Then, there came a time when I started having feelings for you. It was when you arrived at our camp, barely alive after your battle with Corypheus in Haven. I had felt something that I had never felt before that day." Josephine licks her lips and takes a deep breath before closing her eyes and continuing. "Sure, I never mentioned anything after that. I allowed you to be the pursuer, and I the prey; but I had wanted you so bad after that day. I wanted to hold you, to allow you to let me help with the burden of the task that had been thrust upon you. You had become the ray of light for all of us, yes, but that wasn't the reason I fell in love with you that day. It was because I had seen you at your weakest. And your weakest was still the strongest I had ever encountered. I just wish that I had said something back then," she pauses as a tear slips down her cheek. The Antivan lifts her hand to her cheek, surprise etches her face as she realises she had started to cry.

"Josie," Evelyn murmurs softly as she crosses to the Antivan's side. "I'm so sorry, my love," she states as she wraps her arms around the other woman. "I wish I never put you through that. I just had to be sure it was you. Maybe I should send a missive to Dorian. He might know something. First thing tomorrow morning..." she pauses as she takes in the dawning of a new day. "Let me rephrase that, first thing this morning, I will write our friend and ask if he knows anything that will help. Or do you believe Vivienne would know more? Mayhaps Morrigan? She does have a fountain of knowledge ever since she drank from the well-spring in the Dalish ruins."

Josephine leans against Trevelyan's solid frame as they walk back towards the sofa. "I think you should speak to all of them," she replies with a sad smile as her fingers trace the strong arm that was wrapped around her. "It wouldn't hurt to hear what they all have to say. Each one has different philosophies of magic that they adhere to, so it may give you different options in the long run."

Evelyn smiles as they settle onto the couch. "You are right, as always." The Inquisitor sighs as she runs a hand over her face. "I am so sorry for all of this. I should have spoke with one of them when the dreams started months before."

"Why didn't you?" the Antivan questions as she turns towards the Free Marcher beside her. She wraps the blanket tightly around her again as she shivers from the chill morning air that was still blowing through the open window.

"Arrogance? Stupidity?" Evelyn shrugs as she wraps an arm around herself to keep warm. "I honestly don't know. I was just afraid that someone would make fun of me for having nightmares."

Josephine reaches for the Inquisitor's hand. "No one would think that, my dear. You went through a very harrowing experience, we all did, but you more so than anyone else. You were at the epicentre of it all. You survived the destruction of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. No one would judge you for the nightmares that plague you. You are the only one who sees the fault in this and that is why you hold back in asking for help. You are too strong-willed and stubborn to receive help."

"I asked for help," Evelyn retorts half-heartedly.

"You asked for help for the Inquisition, not for yourself," Josephine replies softly as she moves closer to the Inquisitor. She removes the blanket from herself and wraps around both of them when she sees Evelyn shiver again. "No one will think differently of you if you ask for help every once in a while."

"I know," the Free Marcher states quietly as she get comfortable underneath the cover. "It is just hard to ask, you know? I have always done everything for myself and by myself that I just feel as though I do not know how to ask without seeming helpless."

Josephine leans forward and wraps her arm around Evelyn's waist, revelling slightly in the strong taunt muscles she feels in the Inquisitor's stomach. "Asking for help does not make you weak, Evelyn; it makes you stronger when you admit that you can not do things alone. It means you realise your own limitations and can still call to others to help you overcome that limitation."

The Free Marcher wraps an arm around the Antivan's shoulders and squeezes lightly. "I never really thought of it that way," Evelyn mutters softly as she takes a deep breath to take in the intoxicating smell of Josephine's hair. "Now that you have said this to me, I can see where you are coming from."

Josephine smiles softly as she snuggles closer to the Free Marcher. "See, aren't you glad that I am around to show you different ways to looks at things?" She stifles a yawn with the back of her hand and prays to the Maker that Evelyn did not hear it.

Trevelyan hums in approval but laughs softly when she hears the yawn. She untangles herself from under the blanket and reaches down to offer her hand to the Antivan when she stands. "There are a lot of things I am grateful for when it comes to you sticking around Skyhold," she murmurs with a sly grin as she takes in Josephine's dusky form when the cover had shifted towards the Ambassador's waist. "But I believe showing you all those different reasons will be too much of a task right now." She tries to stifle her own yawn but fails miserably. "I believe right now, we could use a few more hours to sleep. Later we can send the missives out to our friends and after that..." She lifts the Antivan up into her arms and walks towards their bed. "We can think of ways to pass the time until we receive a reply."

Josephine sighs as she feels Evelyn gently place her on the bed and then feels the warm fur blankets wrap around her body. She nearly melts into the touch of the Inquisitor's body behind her as Trevelyan lies down beside her. "I can't think of a better way to spend a few days," she murmurs, half asleep, as Evelyn wraps her arm around Josephine's waist.

"Good," the Free Marcher says with a yawn as she snuggles in behind the Antivan and sighs. "Sleep well, my dear."

"Sleep well, my love."


End file.
